Florida Gators recruiting mailbag: August 27th edition

Florida Gators recruiting is doing well right now and this week’s recruiting mailbag was full of great questions on the quarterback recruiting as well as how who is rising or fading on the Florida Gators’ board.

Gator Country and Andrew Spivey are mixing things up and we have taken our recruiting mailbag to podcast form, but don’t worry, we are continuing the written version of the mailbag as well.

Make sure to listen as Andrew answers everyone’s questions from this Florida Gators recruiting mailbag and don’t forget to get your questions in every week so he can answer them for you.

Here’s the written version of this week’s podcast:

MrB-Gator: Is the staff determined to get another QB in this class?
(I’m going to assume that Grier becomes the number one and is the starter for a couple of more years)
If Trask is the only one in this class and then Allen for 2017 then why do we need a second QB in this class?

AS: Head coach Jim McElwain and the rest of the Florida Gators coaching staff are very determined to get a quarterback in this class so that they have depth at the position. It’s very likely that the loser of the Treon Harris/Will Grier battle will transfer, which means that Florida will need depth at the position.

Juggernautz: For those of us that have poor memories and/or missed out, can you post a breakdown of how many recruits that we hope to get for each position for the 2016 & 2017 classes?

AS: It’s too far in advance to breakdown the 2017 class in my opinion but right now here’s who the 2016 Florida Gators recruiting class looks to be breaking down. 2 QB’s, 2 RB’s, 5 WR’s, 1-2 TE’s, 4-5 OL’s, 5 DL’s, 3 LB’s and 5-6 DB’s.

Hoganmac97: Chances on flipping Jarrett Guarantano from Tennessee?

AS: Right now I would say the chances are slim that Florida flips Guarantano from the Tennessee Volunteers. I think things were blown out of proportion the other day when 2017 QB Hunter Johnson committed to the Vols. Florida is recruiting Guarantano but they must get him on campus to have a true shot.

Gator_champs1: I know he’s only a freshman at this moment, but are the Gators starting to recruit Blake Hinson a 6’5″ WR out of Warner Christian High School?

AS: He’s sort of on the radar but he has yet to visit the Florida Gators campus so until he does then he won’t truly be 100 percent on the radar.

 

Gator_nica: How high of a priority are Defensive Tackles in this class? Which DT´s are considering Florida at this time?

AS: Florida would love to have two defensive tackles in the class but they are still somewhat young on the defensive line so they could get away with signing just one in the class. Dexter Lawrence and Ben Frazier are the defensive tackles they have the best shot with at this time. I think Jordan Woods and Shavar Manuel could see time inside if they do sign with Florida in February.

 

SVSqueek7: Who are the Big Uglies we’re looking good for and are there any surprises along there?

AS: Florida is very happy with Brett Heggie, Stone Forsythe and Branton Autry but they would like to add one to two more in the class. Jauan Williams, Marcus Tatum, Malcolm Pridgeon and Richard Merritt are all guys they are still recruiting but Tatum is the only one that has shown true interest in the Florida Gators at this point.

 

Millio21: If possible, would we take Eubanks and Nauta in the same class?

AS: Heck yes. They would because both are very good football players that fit Jim McElwain’s and offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier’s offense well. Florida is trending up for Nick Eubanks but need to get Isaac Nauta on campus again in order to truly be in the mix.

 

G8rmann: Will you be putting out a mock for us to mock?

AS: I usually hold off on doing mock classes until December because of the forever changing board.

Chicagogator94: Can you give us an updated WR board as of this week? Have we gained or lost momentum lately for any of the WRs in this class?

AS: The receiver board is still Binjimen Victor, Sam Bruce, Freddie Swain, Nate Craig-Myers and Tyrie Cleveland. Florida is gaining momentum on Swain and Craig-Myers but Victor is looking at the season very closely. Victor wants to see how the quarterback situation plays out both on the field and in the Florida Gators recruiting efforts.

Wesstump: How many LB in this class? Who do we have the best chance of signing including our current commits.
We should never let a signing date go by without getting at least three or more.

AS: Florida would love to sign three linebackers in this class but there is no true favorite to land in the class with Jeremiah Moon and Vosean Joseph. Miami Hurricanes commit Zach McCloud, Aaron Hansford and Florida State Seminoles commit Emmett Rice are all on the board, but Florida has work to do with each of them.

 

Allanhovey: Do our coaches stay in contact with our commits? So they know we are thinking of them?
Seems like a text every day or so would be good?

AS: Yes, Florida’s assistant coaches do a great job of keeping in touch with the current commits. Player personnel director Drew Hughes also does a great job of keeping in touch with these guys. Head coach Jim McElwain also messages with the commits on a weekly basis.

Juggernautz: What is the overall perception of our program now as opposed to TOG’s regime by the high school programs?

AS: The overall perception is pretty good because McElwain and his staff made sure to meet with most coaches and most schools this spring and that has helped. McElwain is very respected in the high school ranks.

Gatordon: Are many recruits waiting to see the on the field performance this year before deciding?

Will there be any big surprises for the rest of this class?

What do the coaches consider the #1 priority for this class?

AS: A lot of recruits are watching the season very closely to see how the Gators offense does and how the coaching staff does. I don’t think any big surprises are popping up yet but DT Shavar Manuel is a guy that nobody thought Florida was in for but now they are in very good shape for.

The coaching staff is focusing very heavy on the receiver position because they want to overhaul the talent there and also the quarterback position is very big this year.

67viking: Would you agree that if we are 3-0 with Tenn. coming to the swamp, that recruiting will make a huge jump if we beat Tenn.(especially if we look good doing so). It may be the biggest game of the year for recruiting. Thoughts?

AS:  I agree that the Tennessee game is very important for Florida and it should be loaded with prospects. It will also be the first time for the Gators to go up against a big time team so that will be big for a national perception.

Andrew Spivey
Andrew always knew he wanted to be involved with sports in some capacity. He began by coaching high school football for six years before deciding to pursue a career in journalism. While coaching, he was a part of two state semifinal teams in the state of Alabama. Given his past coaching experience, he figured covering recruiting would be a perfect fit. He began his career as an intern for Rivals.com, covering University of Florida football recruiting. After interning with Rivals for six months, he joined the Gator Country family as a recruiting analyst. Andrew enjoys spending his free time on the golf course and watching his beloved Atlanta Braves. Follow him on Twitter at @AndrewSpiveyGC.